Google's Project Fi comes to data-only devices, including Apple's iPad Air 2 & iPad mini 4
Google's low-cost carrier service, Project Fi, is now available for a select range of data-only devices, specifically tablets including the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4.
People who are already activated on Fi can order data-only SIMs for the service, up to a limit of nine per account. Aside from iPads, other officially supported devices include the Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and Galaxy Tab S. Unconfirmed accounts suggest that the SIMs may work with other products, like the iPad mini 2.
Tablets share in the same data pool as smartphones, with a fee of $10 per gigabyte, but to keep bandwidth under control Fi's data metering tools let subscribers see a per-device breakdown. Unlike phones, tethering is banned for data-only hardware.
Google is promising varying levels of coverage in over 120 countries, although people can still only sign up for the service in the U.S. via an invite system.
Until this week, Project Fi was restricted to a handful of Google smartphones including the Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X. The service's main advantage is that it costs just $20 per month before data fees, with unlimited voice and texting, and any data that goes unused results in a 1-cent credit per megabyte. A person paying for 2 gigabytes who only uses 1 gigabyte, for instance, will get $10 back.
The service preferentially connects to Wi-Fi, but when out of range connects to Sprint and T-Mobile's networks or else various 3G networks outside the U.S.
People who are already activated on Fi can order data-only SIMs for the service, up to a limit of nine per account. Aside from iPads, other officially supported devices include the Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and Galaxy Tab S. Unconfirmed accounts suggest that the SIMs may work with other products, like the iPad mini 2.
Tablets share in the same data pool as smartphones, with a fee of $10 per gigabyte, but to keep bandwidth under control Fi's data metering tools let subscribers see a per-device breakdown. Unlike phones, tethering is banned for data-only hardware.
Google is promising varying levels of coverage in over 120 countries, although people can still only sign up for the service in the U.S. via an invite system.
Until this week, Project Fi was restricted to a handful of Google smartphones including the Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X. The service's main advantage is that it costs just $20 per month before data fees, with unlimited voice and texting, and any data that goes unused results in a 1-cent credit per megabyte. A person paying for 2 gigabytes who only uses 1 gigabyte, for instance, will get $10 back.
The service preferentially connects to Wi-Fi, but when out of range connects to Sprint and T-Mobile's networks or else various 3G networks outside the U.S.
Comments
You're thinking of Google, who kowtows to the carriers. That's why they are doing this and Apple doesn't have to. Apple created the Apple SIM so that you can choose and switch carriers even more easily.
On a related note Apple may not be able to continue taking a cut of payments, .15% of the transaction fee, when their current contracts begin expiring less than two years from now. Why? The industry has standardized on Visa tokenization in the meantime, so Apple won't be offering any advantage in the transaction process over any other payment platform. That's why Google doesn't get a part of the fees. When Apple Pay was first introduced the standard was still in flux, but no longer so banks may insist the Apple feature should be free too from their perspective when it's time to renew. If so both services may eventually be looking for ways to at least partially fund the costs of their mobile pay platforms but neither will be selling CC spending habits to advertisers to do so.